Mining-machine



(No Model.) L J. IVI. WALTER. MINING MACHINE.

No. 431,239. Patented July l, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

JOHN M. \VALTER, OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS.

`MINING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 431,239, dated July 1, 1890. Application iiled March 14, 1889. Serial No. 303,247. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN M. IVALTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Peoria, in the county of Peoria and State of Illinos, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Mining-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a mining-machine wherein the cutting-tool is carried by the piston-rod of a power-cylinder mounted on a wheeled frame, which also carries an electric motor operatiu g through the intervention of a cam-shaft and suitable gearing, whereby to actuate the piston in one direction, compress air in the cylinder on the backward stroke of the piston, and allow the expansion of the air thus compressed to deliver' the working blow. By this construction and organization of parts a simple mining-machine of high efficiency is produced. In mining operations variations in the hardness of the material operated upon and' in the position of the machine result in irregularity of the length of stroke and in considerable jarring. This jarring is taken up or cushioned by the air in the cylinder. Changes in position are compensated for in my machine by mounting the motor directly upon the same frame which carries the cutting-tool and power-cylinder, whereby the proper relation of the parts is maintained under all conditions of the work and the operation of the machine approximates closely to hand-drilling.

To the attainment of the foregoing` and other useful ends my invention consists in 'matters hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a top plan view of a mining-machine embodying the principles of my invention. Fig. 2 represents said machine in side elevation. Fig. 3 is a detail representing the cam that is employed, as hereinafter specified.

In said drawings, A indicates a substantially rectangular frame, which is supported by wheels u and u', and provided with handles II and II', whereby it can be conveniently moved and shifted about. The axle S for the supporting-wheels is arranged at or near a point midway of the length of the frame, so

p as to balance the frame upon the axle and thereby facilitate the tilting of the frame and 4screw It.

permit it to be otherwise readily moved with reference tothe work that is to be performed by the chisel or cutter. The frame A carries a cylinder E, which may be supported upon the frame in any suitable way-as for example, it can be suitably bolted upon a crosspiece N. The cylinder E is provided with ordinary valves or cocks, which are indicated at Y and Y, and which open into the cylinder near its ends and at its lower side, said cocks being adapted for letting air into and out of the cylinder when so desired. The

`cylinder contains a suitable piston therein, .partly indicated in dotted lines, and suitably secured upon or formed with its piston-rod X. The piston-rod passes through a suitable stuffing-box at one end of the cylinder and is jointed, as at X', so as to permit it to work steadily through the stufiingbox. The forward end of the piston-rod is adapted to receive and hold a cutting-chisel I, which can be secured to the piston-rod in any suitable way--as, for example, the shank of the chisel can be set into a socket K on the piston-rod and held in said socket by a set- The piston-rod may be guided and steadied in any suitable way-as, for exam-r ple, it may pass through a sleeve or bearing V, which is herein bolted upon the forward end of the main frame. The piston-rod is thrown forward by the expansive force of compressed air within the cylinder E, and as a means for compressing the air within said cylinder' I arrange upon the main frame a r0- tary shaft R, carrying a cam M, which during the rotation of the shaft alternately throws back and releases the piston-rod. To permit the cani to thus act upon the pistonrod the latter carries the small anti-friction roller L, which can be arranged upon a lug or stud that is formed with or secured to the piston-rod. Said antifriction roller is arranged within the path of the cam, whereby during the rotation of the shaft R the said anti-friction roller will be alternately engaged by and released from the eccentrieally-arranged acting face q of the cam M.

In order to permit a directaction on the part of the cam against the anti-friction roller or other projection upon the piston rod, the rotary shaft R is arranged in a line which intersects the longitudinally-central ICO line of the piston-rod, and to permit such arrangement the piston-rod is for a portion of its length provided with a longitudinal slot q, through which the rotary shaft R extends. The shaft R is mounted in bearings p and 19 upon the main frame and' is provided with a pulley G, which is connected by a belt F with the pulley G of a motor B; or said motor and cam-shaft may be connected by positive gearing in any suitable manner. Saidmotor is arranged upon the main frame of the machine and is understood to be a suitably-constructed electric motor, it being regarded as herein unnecessary to show any particular construction of motor and electrical connections, since any suitable type of 4 motor can be employed and connected u p in circuit by suitably-arranged wires,which can be of such length as to permit the machine as a whole to be moved about as may be desired. The rotary shaft R is also provided with a balance-wheel D, so that when it is driven from the electric motor itwill operate steadily. During operation the cam engages and forces back the piston, which in turn compresses the air within the cylinder,where by the instant the piston is released by the cam the expansive force ofy the air will throw the piston forward and thereby project the cutting-chisel with great force and rapidity.

The machine when operated will usually be placed on a slightly-inclined platform, so as to keep it up to the work, although it may of course be placed on a horizontal platform, if so desired. The small amount of air which will be forward of the piston when the latter is forced by the cam to make its back-stroke will simply act as an air-cushion in case the chisel should not strike the work when the piston is caused to make its forward stroke. As the acting face of the cam is formed on a line which is spiral relatively to the axis of the rotary shaft R, said cam will during its" revolution engage .the stud or roller upon the piston-rod at any point during the backstroke of the piston, and thereby at all times insure action, thus taking up the piston movement backward at any point without jar and completing the stroke.

v What I claim as my invention is- 1. A mining-machine comprising, in combination, a wheel-supported frame, a powercylinder mounted thereon and having a reciprocating piston and piston-rod, a cuttingtool carried by the piston-rod, a rotatable shaft having a cam adapted, when rotated, to engage the piston-rod and move the same in one direction, whereby the piston is caused to compress the air in the cylinder and at the end of the backward stroke is released to permit the expansion of the air to move said piston forward to deliver the working blow, an electric motor mounted on the said frame, and suitable gearing between the motor and calnshaft, substantially as described.

2. A mining-machine comprising, in combination, a wheel-supported frame, a powercylinder mounted thereon and having a reciprocating piston and longitudinally-slotted piston-rod, a rotatable shaft projected through the slot of the rod and having a cam adapted, when rotated, to engage the piston-rod and move the same in one direction, whereby the piston is caused to compress the air in the cylinder and at the end of the backward stroke is released to permit the expansion of the air to move said piston forward to deliver the working blow, an electric motor mounted on the said frame, and suitable gearing between the motor and cam-shaft, substantially as described.

3. A mining-machine comprising, in combination, a wheel-supported frame, a powercylinder mounted thereon and having a reciprocating piston and piston-rod, a cuttingtool carried by the piston-rod, a rotatable shaft having a spiral-faced cam adapted, when rotated, to engage the piston rod throughout the backward stroke of t-he piston-rod and move the same in one direction, whereby the piston is caused to colnpress the air in the cylinder and at the end of the backward stroke is released to permit the expansion of the air to move said piston forward to deliver the working blow, an electric motor mounted on the 'said frame, and suitable gearing between the motor and cam-shaf t, substantially as described.

JOHN M. VALTER.

Witnesses:

W. W. HAMMOND,l CARRIE GEATHARD. 

